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by
Rory Dollard
Born
Naseem Salim Ali Hamed, the self-crowned Prince is a consistent
figure on the radar of British boxing.
At
only 5"3 Hamed is not the obvious epitomy of the fight game but
what he lacks in inches he makes up for in speed of thought, fleet
of foot and a surprisingly powerful punch.
Although
his family roots lie in the Yemen, Naz was born here and prides
himself on being a Sheffield boy through and through.
Upon
turning professional at the tender age of 18, he swiftly began earning
a reputation as an exciting new talent - by sweeping aside lesser
lights with seeming ease - and as a showman in the finest tradition.
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| Prince
Naseem in action in the ring |
Leopard
skin shorts, vaulting the ropes with exaggerated somersaults and
thinly veiled taunts of opponents all became part of an impressively
entertaining repertoire.
Success
follows Naz almost unflinchingly and aged only 21 he captured his
first title, the WBO Featherweight belt from Steve Robinson.
With
a touch of class and a great helping of arrogance (something Hamed
would certainly not see as an insult) he was suddenly a sporting
icon in the country, drawing more attention and interest than the
fading UK heavyweight scene.
Although
recently his powers have appeared to be waning somewhat his record
is second to none and his spirit is still unbreakable.
The
crowds love him, the media love him and he certainly loves himself.
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